Huskers Battle Bulldogs Sunday AfternoonIt is a Big Ten versus SEC battle on Sunday afternoon, as Nebraska takes on Georgia at the Charleston Classic Presented by Gildan. The Huskers will take on the Bulldogs at 1:30 p.m. (central) in the seventh-place game.

The game will be online on ESPN3.com and on the WatchESPN app with Bob Picozzi and Tim Welsh on the call. There is no television for Sunday’s game against Georgia.

The matchup with the Bulldogs will be carried on the radio across Nebraska on the 27-station Husker Sports Network with Kent Pavelka and Matt Davison calling all of the action. The game can be heard for free on Huskers.com and is available on the Huskers’ app on iOS or android devices.

Nebraska (3-2) looks to snap a two-game losing streak, as the Huskers fell to UMass (96-90) and UAB (87-74) during the first two days of tournament action. The Huskers have averaged 82 points per game in Charleston, but have struggled on the defensive end, allowing both UMass and UAB to shoot over 50 percent from the field.

In Friday’s loss, Nebraska was unable to stop UAB point guard Chad Frazier, who finished with 32 point and seven assists, as the Blazers made 19-of-23 second-half shots to overcome a six-point second-half deficit.

Sophomore Terran Petteway continued his solid play in Friday’s loss, as he totaled a team-high 21 points and five rebounds. Pettway, who had a career-high 30 points in Nebraska’s loss to UMass on Thursday, is averaging 25.5 points per game in Nebraska’s two games Charleston and is among the Big Ten scoring leaders at 17 points per game.

While Petteway has paced the Husker attack, Nebraska’s bench has been vital during tournament play. The Huskers are getting 29 points per game off the bench this week, including 10.0 points per game from junior college transfer Deverell Biggs.

Georgia (1-3) suffered a tough loss of its own on Friday night, falling to Temple, 83-81, as Temple guard Will Cummings hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds left. The Bulldogs had fought back from 13 points down to take an 81-80 lead from a basket from Charles Mann. The 6-5 sophomore guard leads Georgia in scoring at 17.0 points per game and is shooting 54 percent from the field and 86 percent from the foul line.

After this weekend, the Huskers will not leave the state until after Christmas, as Nebraska will play its next five games inside the state with only the Dec. 8 contest with nationally ranked Creighton away from Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Series History vs. Georgia

Nebraska’s meeting with Georgia will be the first matchup between the programs since a 69-61 victory in the 1995 NIT at the Devaney Center. The all-time series is tied at one apiece, as Georgia won the previous matchup, 67-63, on Dec. 20, 1985.

Nebraska is 115-153 all-time against the SEC, but the numbers are skewed after conference expansion, as 219 of the 268 matchups were against Missouri and 20 came against Texas A&M when both schools were in the Big 12 Conference. Nebraska’s last SEC game was a loss to Vanderbilt in the 2010 Puerto Rico Tipoff. Nebraska has dropped its last two games against SEC teams dating back to a 62-61 win at Tennessee on Dec. 30, 2004.

Last Time Out

Nebraska could not overcome UAB’s hot-shooting second half, as Nebraska fell to the Blazers, 87-74, at the 2013 Charleston Classic presented by Gildan Friday afternoon.

Nebraska (3-2) led 34-31 at the break and built a six-point lead in the opening moments in the second half before succumbing to the Blazers’ offensive outburst in the final 20 minutes.

UAB (4-1) shot 83 percent in the second half, hitting 19-of-23 points from the floor, as Chad Frazier scored 21 of his game-high 32 points in the second half. Frazier hit 8-of-13 shots from the field and was 12-of-15 from the foul line, as he finished with 32 points, seven assists and five rebounds to pace five UAB players in double figures.

Despite UAB’s offensive outburst, Nebraska was still in a position to win, trailing 66-64 with 7:41 left after a pair of Walter Pitchford free throws, but baskets by UAB’s Robert Williams and Rod Rucker extended the margin to 70-64.

Nebraska pulled to within 72-67 after a pair of Shavon Shields free throws with 4:37 left, but could not get closer, as the Blazers went on a 9-2 run to pull away down the stretch.

Fahro Alihodzic joined Frazier in double figures with 16 points, while Rod Rucker added 13 points and 10 rebounds. In all, UAB shot 53.7 percent from the floor and out-rebounded Nebraska, 41-28, while holding the Huskers to just 43 percent shooting.

Nebraska took a 37-31 lead after 3-point play from Terran Petteway before Frazier, who was held in check during the first half, took over the game for UAB. The junior point guard scored seven points in a 9-2 spurt, as his basket gave the Blazers a 40-39 lead.

The teams traded points, and Nebraska led 48-46 after a Shields hoop before a Jordan Swing layup and a steal and layup by Frazier off the inbounds pass keyed another 9-2 spurt to push the UAB lead to 55-50.

Petteway led Nebraska, as he scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half and added five Huskers to pace four Huskers in double figures. Biggs and Shields added 11 points each while Pitchford finished with 10 points and six rebounds.

In the first half, it was Nebraska’s defense which put the Huskers in solid position, as the Huskers held UAB to 32 percent shooting and forced 10 Blazer turnovers. Nebraska missed its first five shots from the field before hitting four in a row from the floor to take a 10-7 lead, as Deverell Biggs came off the bench with five straight points to spark the rally.

The Huskers trailed 24-19 before 3-pointers from Pitchford and Ray Gallegos keyed a 15-3 Husker spurt. Gallegos, who was not expected to play on Friday after suffering an injury on Thursday, hit a pair of 3-pointers in the run, as Nebraska built a 34-27 lead with 4:05 left in the half after a Biggs’ basket.